The Seidlitz-Powder Scheme to Raise a Sunken Ship

TACOMA, Aug. 30.—[Special.]—So confident of success are the owners of the Grant Brothers' device for raising sunken vessels they have bought the wrecked Ferndale, off the mouth of Gray's harbor, and will, they say, raise it and make nearly $70,000 in cash. The Ferndale had aboard a cargo of 2,000 tons of anthracite coal from Australia, and at low tide the hull is partially above water. After the vessel sunk a gentleman named Damon, residing near Oyhop on a ranch, purchased the wreck of the insurance company for a mere trifle. He expected to remove the anchors and other fixtures of value. Jacob Ralph, representing the owners of Grant Brothers' patents, has returned from Gray's harbor, having purchased the wreck of the Ferndale for $2,000. Before making the purchase he, with others, inspected the hull at low tide and found it in a satisfactory condition for their purpose. Ex-Councilman Charles T. Manning and Mr. Ralph were asked today why it was they did not go ahead and raise the Ferndale or the San Pedro, for instance. Mr. Manning said: 'Until a day or two ago I did not fully understand the workings of our apparatus. When I saw it work I was fully satisfied it would raise any sunken object, which previous to being sunk would float its cargo. In less than forty days all of our foreign patents will be complete, and we shall then have covered all nations of value to us. These patents cost about $5,000. It costs us $1,200 to file our patents in Australia, while in Germany and France it costs only $500 each. However, in Australia several colonies have to be covered. When the patents are complete the workings of the apparatus will be made public. The apparatus, costing about $25,000, will be ready in twenty days or so, and then we shall raise the Ferndale or any other hull for which we can make arrangements.' Mr. Manning was asked what, if any, encouragement the owners of the San Pedro had given him at San Francisco. He said: 'They did not believe our device would do what we claimed. They asked me to go home and perfect my apparatus and that then they would be pleased to hear from the company. Still, I have no doubt but that if I knew how to explain our apparatus fully the Union Pacific people would have gladly given us more encouragement.' Most of the apparatus referred to is being made here. Some of it will be made at San Francisco. Mr. Ralph said the working of a Seidlitz was somewhat similar to the Grant Brothers' process. He said by forcing their chemicals into any sunken object, which before it was damaged by having holes stove into it, would float, it could be kept afloat by continuing to force the chemicals into it, even though it were filled with holes. This is proven by the fact that in the public experiments made here, a bag, filled with auger holes and filled with gravel, was raised by attaching a hose to its bottom and pumping into it the chemicals, the exact nature of which is not yet made public. It is expected that the chemicals will force out the water in the hull of a boat and replace it with carbonic acid gas, thus causing it to float. When it floats, the apparatus, generating the agency which caused it to rise to the surface, is to be placed aboard and the damaged vessel floated to a dry dock for repairs.